{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T16:22:08Z","timestamp":1778170928292,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751846400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The generalization of fear memories is an adaptive neurobiological process that promotes survival in complex and dynamic environments. While generalization has adaptive value, fear generalization is maladaptive and is a significant feature of stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The dopamine system plays a crucial role in both reward- and fear-related processes; however, the contribution of dopamine D3 receptors (D3Rs) to fear generalization in intense foot-shock models remains unclear. In this study, we administered a highly selective D3R antagonist, YQA14 (1 \u03bcg\/0.2 \u03bcL\/side), in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which significantly inhibited fear generalization in novel contexts within foot-shock models. This effect was mediated by reducing the neuronal activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). These findings enhance our understanding of the neurobiology of generalization, which is essential from a translational perspective and has broad implications for treating generalized fear disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26136520","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T08:58:23Z","timestamp":1751878703000},"page":"6520","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Blockade of Dopamine D3 Receptors in the Ventral Tegmental Area Mitigates Fear Memory Generalization"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Xiangjun","family":"Fang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China"},{"name":"Academy Military Medical Sciences, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaoyan","family":"Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy Military Medical Sciences, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ning","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy Military Medical Sciences, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy Military Medical Sciences, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1168-2057","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China"},{"name":"Academy Military Medical Sciences, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2024.10.034","article-title":"Stress disrupts engram ensembles in the lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice","volume":"188","author":"Lesuis","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"620","DOI":"10.1038\/nn.2808","article-title":"Activation of dopamine neurons is critical for aversive conditioning and prevention of generalized anxiety","volume":"14","author":"Zweifel","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. 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